WBSGVS Chapter 95 V1

Clearing the Big Company is not a quick process.

During this period, Qingli continued filming while occasionally recording for the “Horror Escape” show on Saturdays. After finishing twelve episodes, she focused entirely on acting.

Her previous experiences in fast-traveling worlds included working in the entertainment industry, so her acting skills were already quite solid. Although this drama was an idol drama that didn’t require deep acting, having good skills would only enhance her performance.

As she concentrated on acting, the “Horror Escape” show completed recording. As the quality improved over time, it gained widespread attention from viewers, and the fan bases of the guests increased as well. Among them, Qingli had the smallest base but saw the most growth.

After the show ended, numerous variety show offers poured in, and Zheng Yue was busy filtering them out, enjoying the process like a rat in a rice bowl.

“Ugh, the timing doesn’t match, this one has to go too.”

“Ahh, I don’t want to refuse this!”

“Hey, I think this one’s good; you can handle it!”

At first, Qingli would offer advice as Zheng Yue ranted in her ear, helping her become more decisive in her initial selections. Later, as she realized Zheng Yue was just ranting, she became less responsive.

After Zheng Yue went through the offers, the ones that reached Qingli were well-timed and of good quality. Prices varied, but she wasn’t particularly concerned.

With Qingli’s rise in variety shows, more high-quality offers came her way, and the television drama scene was decent, considering her previous roles were proof of her acting ability. However, she only received small roles in films.

Qingli chose one variety show, and a few drama scripts she liked, and let Zheng Yue pursue further negotiations.

In the drama “Xian Yuan”, Qingli played the role of the second female lead. Her character didn’t have a lot of screen time, but she was charismatic, strong-willed, and served as a worthy opponent to the male lead. Unfortunately, the male lead’s heart was captured by another girl who needed protection, the primary cause of chaos in the immortal and demon realms.

The second female lead sacrifices herself for her beloved’s happiness, making her a tragic yet beautiful character. This role type, set in a xianxia drama, benefits from a strong visual appeal, and each character is distinct. A well-performed character can become a “white moonlight” figure for viewers.

For the next two months, Qingli immersed herself fully in the role, shutting out distractions until filming wrapped.

After filming ended, Qingli took a week-long break. All her upcoming engagements had breaks in between and were not packed too tightly. During her half-month of rest, she didn’t exactly take a vacation; she shot a few magazine photo shoots. When the holiday ended, Qingli’s first engagement was as a guest on another show.

“Dream Stage” is a competition show focusing on acting skills. Qingli wasn’t initially invited; the show she was scheduled for was a travel variety, but it was recorded a month before. The “Dream Stage” invitation came just two days before her filming ended. Originally, she had declined because the filming was set to begin in her last half-month of shooting. However, one of the actors dropped out due to an injury, and they needed her to step in.

Given the actor’s poor performance in previous rounds, this episode was just a formality—it was destined to be an elimination. The show found her because of her current popularity, and they needed the heat.

Qingli gladly agreed, signed the contract, and after wrapping up, she came to the set early the next morning. Contestants on the show couldn’t have their managers with them, so Qingli was led to a small room by the crew.

Familiar cameras dotted the corners of the room. Qingli looked around; there was no one else in the room, just a stack of scripts on the coffee table. She picked one up, recognizing it as a movie script she had seen before.

It was a story involving three people—a love triangle with two girls vying for the affection of one boy. Despite being close friends, the girls’ relationship turned subtly competitive. The boy, caught in the middle, couldn’t make a decision. Eventually, a confrontation over a cup of tea reveals the true feelings of the characters, leading to a bittersweet conclusion.

Qingli slowly read through most of the script when the second person entered—a bright and energetic young man, Xu Haichao. He seemed shy and kept bowing when he saw her.

“Hello, Teacher Fu,” Xu Haichao said loudly, his voice full of enthusiasm.

Qingli smiled and nodded, “Hello.”

It was their first meeting—brief, awkward small talk before they fell silent again. Qingli went back to reading her script, and Xu Haichao followed suit.

His face wrinkled as he glanced at the script. “This dialogue is too much!”

Qingli chuckled. “Yes, but you don’t have many lines.”

The character of Xiao Xuan, the gentle girl, had more dialogue.

Xu Haichao sighed in relief, patting his chest as he continued to read. Half an hour later, the third person arrived—Cheng Yu, a former child star in her early twenties.

“After another round of awkward chit-chat, Cheng Yu looked at her and smiled, saying, ‘You’re one of the ones trending on Weibo today, right? No wonder you looked familiar.'”

Qing Li blinked in confusion. “Trending on Weibo?”

She hadn’t checked her phone since she came in and wasn’t aware of it.

Cheng Yu looked surprised, covering her mouth as if she couldn’t believe Qing Li didn’t know. Qing Li silently pulled out her phone to check. Yep, it was trending.

Even though she had divorced Ye Minxing, any little thing involving him would still get spun into headlines, especially when Su Tang was involved this time.

Just thirty minutes ago, Ye Minxing had made a grand gesture, renting out a skyscraper screen to profess his love to Su Tang, claiming he didn’t understand his feelings before but now knew what he wanted, even if Su Corporation was in turmoil. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Su Tang.

“Didn’t understand his feelings?” That line had been echoed through the phone, and marketing accounts were already picking up on it, spreading screenshots and stirring up the drama.

Qing Li had her fans, so there were black fans too. The marketing accounts’ posts just added fuel to the fire, and her fans were busy defending her and countering the black accounts. The whole thing had landed on the trending topics.

Ever since her relationship with Ye Minxing ended, Zheng Yue felt that Qing Li had become a magnet for trending topics—good or bad, they just appeared.

Qing Li calmly set her phone down after reading the trending topic, meeting the curious stares of the others. “I’ve seen it. Anything else?”

“Don’t you feel bad?” Cheng Yu asked in surprise.

Qing Li raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled as to why she was being asked these personal questions on a show focused on acting. “I thought this was about acting; personal matters shouldn’t be discussed here. Besides…” She paused, catching Cheng Yu’s disapproving glance, before adding, “It’s got nothing to do with me. My heartbeat didn’t even quicken, so why would I feel bad?”

Cheng Yu’s expression shifted slightly, but she quickly smiled again. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up. Let’s get back to dividing roles—since I’m the oldest among us, I’ll act as sort of a half-host and handle the role distribution!”

“Sure,” Qing Li agreed with a smile.

Given Cheng Yu’s younger age, she took on the male lead’s script, leaving Qing Li and Cheng Yu to choose from the remaining roles.

“Since I have more acting experience, I think I’ll go with Xiao Xuan, who has the most lines,” Cheng Yu explained, smiling confidently.

Qing Li glanced at her with a hint of amusement. “I’ve memorized all the lines already.”

Cheng Yu: “?!?”

She didn’t quite believe it, but Qing Li casually started reciting a long string of dialogue—exactly the lines from the script.

Cheng Yu’s polite smile faded as she stared at Qing Li, now convinced. “Line delivery isn’t the only consideration when choosing a role. I think your role in ‘Escape from Horror’ suits the character of Zhi Zhi more. I’ve worked with respected actors like Zhou Yingdi before, and they always advised choosing roles that align more closely with your image for better performance. You shouldn’t be too stubborn.”

Qing Li sighed and nodded. “Alright.”

Cheng Yu smiled again, seeming more relaxed now. The three of them divided the scripts among themselves and began rehearsing. However, before Qing Li could get into it, Cheng Yu received a phone call, speaking with a bright smile. “It’s Sister Xu, I played her childhood role before. The last time I visited her, I sent over some ointment for her back injury. She just told me it worked well.”

“Wow~” Cheng Yu’s enthusiastic surprise.

Qing Li glanced at Cheng Yu, then smiled and showed her teeth. “You know a lot of people.”

“Of course, I know…” Cheng Yu’s eyes lit up, starting to list off more names.

Qing Li listened with a smile, multitasking by reading through her script. Meanwhile, Cheng Yu kept up a constant stream of conversation, trying to engage her, while young assistant Xu Haichao looked a bit impatient, clearly struggling to keep up.

Qing Li had done her homework on her competition beforehand—Cheng Yu wasn’t particularly popular and hadn’t had standout roles recently, making her less competitive in terms of online attention.

Coming onto “Dream Stage,” Cheng Yu had high hopes, hoping to climb to the top and attract more attention. She just seemed to be using the wrong approach.